CSIR Science Scope

Chemical synthesis is a century behind its rivals when it comes to manufacturing. While other fields have adopted a continuous production line, the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries are still reliant on a stop-start series of steps to complete the necessary reactions. This is because almost any synthetic process requires the use of vastly different chemical and physical conditions between steps, and, to make matters worse, many products also require careful downstream processing and purification to create material of sufficient purity.

Access to funding and market remains the main challenges for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to grow their revenue and expand their businesses. It is often not the lack of a quality product that hinders their growth, although this may be a contributing factor, but an inability to prioritise the activities that will enable market access, as well as securing funding for business growth.

A new international study has strengthened the evidence base that air pollution is linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory death rates. The study, conducted over a 30-year period, is the largest of its kind to investigate the short-term impacts of air pollution as a cause of death and, for the first time, included assessments in South Africa. The study analysed data on air pollution and mortality in 24 countries and regions, with the CSIR playing a role in the research.